Racism is Still Alive!!

Present day Racism

Wilcox County High School in Georgia has just recently held its first racially mixed prom in history. Although segregation of educational institutions ended in the 1970’s, the high school continued to have separate proms for white and African American students to this present day. This year students realized it was time to take a stand and raised enough money to have their first integrated prom. Using Facebook as a way to gain support, students eliminated the tradition of hosting a “black prom” and a “white prom” and were able to dance with students of the opposite color for the first time.

Abigail N. Fisher, a Caucasian female, applied for undergraduate admission to the University of Texas in 2008. Fisher was not in the top ten percent of her class, so she competed for admission with other non-top ten percent in-state applicants. The University of Texas denied Fisher’s application. Fisher filed suit against the university and other related defendants, claiming that the University of Texas’ use of race as a consideration in admission decisions was in violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The university argued that its use of race was a narrowly tailored means of pursuing greater diversity. The district court decided in favor of the University of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision. Fisher appealed the appellate court’s decision. The Supreme Court has agreed to look at this case, but not decision has been made yet. This case will decided whether Affirmative will be erased or continue to be a part of the law.

Hidden Racism

Just walking into a public school one will notice that the students separate themselves based upon race. Certain minority students will group together, as well as the white students, and be found more commonly among themselves. Separation between races can be seen in the cafeteria, the bus, classrooms, and the hallway, because individuals feel more comfortable with peers that share common characteristics. Many characteristics isolate students to their own clique: color, gender, age, popularity, attractiveness, and certainly intelligence. In fact education is one of the larger dividers of race, for evidence shows that fewer African American and Hispanic students register for difficult courses, such as Advanced Placement classes, than white and oriental students. There is also evidence which suggests that test scores, high school and college completion rates, and the number of attendance to four-year institutions are on average lower among African Americans than white Americans. Also, as evidence conveys, the number of African American detentions, suspensions, and expulsions in secondary school is much higher compared to the students of other ethnic backgrounds. The reasoning behind this is thoroughly explained in the 2007 documentary of Little Rock Nine by the Renaud Brothers on HBO.